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Photo: Louisville Metro Parks and Recreation
Metro Parks & Recreation is offering an affordable family golfing package at its nine golf courses during the Memorial Day Weekend.
For only $25, a family of up to four members can play nine holes at any Metro Parks course. The $25 includes greens and cart fees, and families can take advantage of the deal after 4:30 p.m. on three days: Saturday, May 27, Sunday, May 28 and Monday, May 29.
Families are encouraged to call in advance to book a tee time at the golf course of their choice.
“Our courses are in great shape this spring, and we’re hoping for a lot of play from families this summer,” said Metro Parks and Recreation Director Seve Ghose. “Come out and enjoy a round of golf with the family on a great course at an affordable price!”
Metro Parks golf courses are open from daylight to dark seven days a week.
Councilwoman Barbara Shanklin (D-2) will be joined by students of Newburg Middle School for the official community dedication of a new bus stop bench at Exeter Ave and Indian Trail on Tuesday, May 16th.
“Over the winter months, the students collected plastic bottle caps to be formed into a plastic bus stop bench. It is a great community effort on their part and we are recognizing them on behalf of the people of our district,” says Shanklin.
After the bottle caps were collected, they were sent off for the formulation of the bench, by Greentree Plastics in Evansville, Indiana. Shanklin says the idea for the project came from Richard McKnight, a GE employee who saw how a concrete bench at the bus stop was fallen apart,
The project was completed with the help of McKnight, other GE employees and funding by Councilwoman Shanklin.
The bench will be picked-up on Friday, May 12th and a dedication service will be held on Tuesday, May 16th at 12:00pm.
The dedication will be held at the corner of Exeter Ave and Indian Trail, in front of the Newburg Library, which will also be the bench’s location.
“We want our young people to take pride and have a genuine interest in our community and this project is one way of not only thanking them for what they have done, but encourage them to do more,” says Shanklin.
Students and faculty representatives from Newburg Middle School as well as GE employees and Councilwoman Shanklin will be present at the dedication.
The Kentucky Derby Museum invites both professionals and amateurs to enter their hats for inclusion in the 2017 It’s My Derby fashion exhibit. The hat contest is a signature element of the exhibition which strives to capture the spirit associated with the landmark sport and cultural event that is the Kentucky Derby.
All hat entries will be judged by an expert panel where 20-25 hats will be selected for display in the Museum exhibit for one year. There will be a ‘Judges’ Choice’ Award for best overall entry and a ‘Most Representative of Derby’ Award, presented to the hat that best captures the essence of the Kentucky Derby, and an ‘Employees’ Choice’ Award.
- Entries will be accepted through May 31, 2017 during Museum hours only
- Hats must be delivered or shipped and postmarked May 31, 2017
- No international entries
- Museum is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged items
For all rules and entry form, visit https://www.derbymuseum.org/hatcontest.html
For questions, deliveries and shipments contact: Emma Bryan, Curatorial Intern, 704 Central Avenue, Louisville, KY 40208; 502-637-1111, ext. 259, EBryan@DerbyMuseum.org
Monday (5/15/2017) and Tuesday (5/16/2017) are Air Quality Alert Days for ozone in Louisville/Southern Indiana. Forecasters believe ozone will be in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (orange) range. Sensitive groups include seniors, children, and people with breathing ailments like asthma and COPD. The general public is not likely to be affected.
Check the air quality at louisvilleky.gov/airquality.
Find tips on reducing air pollution at helptheair.org.
Tony Crawford says his life has “taken a big turn for the better” since landing a production job at Louisville’s Bigelow Tea, and he credits a training program offered by the Kentucky Manufacturing Career Center.
“The training was pretty intense and not easy at all, but definitely worth it,” said Crawford, 31, who’d been laid off from a previous job. “Graduation day, when we got our training certificates, there were 12-15 companies lined up in the room wanting to hire us. The training and support the center provided are the reason I have this job today.”
Crawford was recognized today by Mayor Greg Fischer as the one thousandth person placed into a job by the center, a one-stop facility that provides training and resources to meet the rising demand for skilled workers in the Louisville region.
Crawford credits the training for preparing him well for his new job and for securing a slightly higher wage than he would have gotten without the course.
(Learn more about training at the Kentucky Manufacturing Career Center by calling (502) 276-9711, or at kentuckianaworks.org.)
The facility is located at 160 Rochester Dr., Building W, in the Airport Industrial Center in south Louisville.
The center, which opened in May 2013, also provides English as a Second Language classes, job fairs and other support for job seekers and employers. It’s operated by KentuckianaWorks, the Workforce Development Board for the Louisville area.
“Manufacturing is thriving in the Louisville region, and this center is vital in providing individuals the training and confidence they need to succeed – and connecting them with employers who need workers ready to hit the ground running, with the right skill set and motivation,” Mayor Fischer said.
The center’s career coaches help match job seekers with available manufacturing jobs and make sure they have the right training and skills for the work.
“As Louisville continues to serve as a shining example of the revitalization of our nation’s manufacturing sector, the Kentucky Manufacturing Career Center has been an important part of that success, providing hard-working Kentuckians with the tools and know-how they’ll need to thrive in the jobs of tomorrow,” said Congressman John Yarmuth. “I’m incredibly proud to be part of today’s announcement of the 1,000th job placement, and look forward to thousands more as the center continues its important work.”
Several training courses are offered at the center, including Certified Production Technician (CPT) training. Individuals who complete the four-week course often have a competitive advantage over job applicants who lack the training. A more intensive, two-week course is also available.
Since 2013, individuals have earned more than 3,000 training certificates and credentials at the center, including the CPT.
GE Appliances is among the more than 100 area companies who have hired individuals trained or referred by the center. The company has employed 45 people referred by the center since it opened in 2013.
“As the labor market continues to be a challenge, training people for careers in manufacturing is critical for companies such as GE Appliances,” said Tom Quick, Vice President, Human Resources at GE Appliances. “We appreciate the partnership with the KMCC.”
In addition to referring workers, the center also offers employers a place to post job openings and to access basic manufacturing skills training for existing employees.
“We believe in the work of this industry-specific career center because it’s an effective way to help fulfill our mission of improving people’s lives through the dignity of work,” said Michael Gritton, executive director of KentuckianaWorks.
Partners in the center are the Louisville Redevelopment Authority, Jefferson Community and Technical College, Jefferson County Public Schools – Adult Education and Career and Technical Education, Kentucky Department of Workforce Investment, Preeminent Training Specialists, ResCare Workforce Services and Vision of Hope Ministries, Inc.
The Kentucky Manufacturing Career Center is funded by a mix of local foundation grants and federal dollars. Start-up funding from the National Fund for Workforce Solutions in 2013 was matched by local groups including: Community Foundation of Louisville, Gheens Foundation, James Graham Brown Foundation, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, and PNC Foundation. Funding is also currently provided by the Louisville Redevelopment Authority. Additional annual funding comes from the U.S. Dept. of Labor, through the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act.
Gov. Matt Bevin has recently made the following appointments to Kentucky Boards and Commissions:
Andrea M. Tucker has been appointed to the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Advisory Committee.
- Dr. Andrea M. Tucker, of Winchester, is an OB/GYN. Tucker will represent obstetrician/gynecologists. She shall serve for a term expiring May 9, 2020.
The Pharmacy and Therapeutics Advisory Committee consists of 12 gubernatorial appointees. The Committee advises the Governor, the Secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the Commissioner of the Department for Medicaid Services on development and administration of an outpatient drug formulary.
Terry Lewis Bunnell has been appointed to the Real Estate Appraisers Board.
- Terry Lewis Bunnell, of Glasgow, is the chairman and CEO of the Peoples Bank and Peoples-Marion Bancorp, Inc. in Crittenden and Barren counties. Bunnell will represent the lending industry. He shall serve for a term expiring May 9, 2020.
The Real Estate Appraisers Board is composed of five gubernatorial appointees. The Board is charged with regulating and controlling the licensing and conduct of real estate appraisers within the Commonwealth.
Samuel Clark Corbett has been appointed to the Judicial Nominating Commission for the 30th Judicial Circuit and District of Kentucky.
- Samuel Clark Corbett, of Louisville, is the executive director of the Jefferson County Public Education Foundation. He shall serve for a term expiring January 1, 2018.
The Judicial Nominating Commission for the 30th Judicial Circuit and District consists of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (serving as chair), two members from the Kentucky Bar Association, and four gubernatorial appointees who are not members of the Kentucky Bar Association (equally representing the two major political parties). Members cannot hold any other public office or any office in a political party or organization.
Attorney General Andy Beshear announced this week that his office is better protecting Kentuckians by holding several fitness centers in Kentucky accountable for failing to properly register with his office.
By law, fitness centers or gyms, spelled out in statute as “health spas,” are required to file an annual registration statement with the Office of the Attorney General, and post a bond, if they charge an initiation fee or have pre-paid memberships. Each bond amount is based on the number of memberships.
“Our regulatory oversight of fitness centers is important because they are located in almost every community across the state and often operate off of long-term membership fees,” Beshear said. “While the majority of fitness centers follow the law, there are those my office must seek civil penalties against for violating regulations.”
Beshear said the requirement for fitness centers to register with his office is critical to ensure that they do not just collect money for long-term memberships and then close shop.
In an effort to obtain better compliance with the majority of their Kentucky locations, Beshear said his office corresponds with all of the corporate headquarters of the fitness club franchises.
Beshear’s office has recently taken action against fitness center in the following cities:
- Frankfort: Beshear’s office filed a complaint in February 2016 against Active Fitness 24/7 for failure to register and post a bond for one year. Summary judgment was entered in Franklin Circuit Court (16-CI-221) for a $2,000 civil penalty and $2,281 in litigation costs. Beshear’s office is attempting to collect on the judgment.
- Hodgenville: Beshear’s office filed a complaint in February 2016 against Life Unlimited Investments d/b/a SNAP Fitness for failure to register and post a bond for registration for three years. A consent judgment has been entered for $3,000 in Franklin Circuit Court (16-CI-218).
- Louisville: Beshear’s office filed a complaint in November 2016 against No Limit Fitness for the failure to register for two years. Civil penalties are being sought in the case in Franklin Circuit Court (16-CI-1250).
- Versailles: Beshear’s office filed a complaint in July 2016 against SNAP Fitness for failure to register and post bond for three years. Civil penalties are being sought in the case in Franklin Circuit Court (16-CI-809).
The Office of the Attorney General anticipates taking legal action against five more fitness centers before July 1.
Kentuckians may call Beshear’s office at 502-696-5300 to inquire if their fitness center is registered, or complete a complaint form online if they are having problems with their fitness center.
Besides fitness centers, Beshear’s office oversees cemeteries, funeral homes, crematories, professional solicitors, debt adjusters, fundraising consultants and charitable organizations.
